Page 138 of Barbi and the Villain

“I don’t want him to get to my world. It might not be the best place, but it’s still my world. My parents are there and?—”

“I promise you,” he interrupts me. “The moment I see him again, he will die by my hand.”

His words put me at ease, and I snuggle closer to him as my eyes drift shut once more.

It’s sometime later that I’m woken up by a strange noise. I open my eyes to see Nykander pacing up and down the cabin, his expression one of confusion mixed with worry.

“What’s wrong?” I frown, rubbing my eyes to chase the sleep away.

“I think PomPom is about to give birth,” he states, his eyes full of terror.

I immediately jump out of bed.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You were sleeping and?—”

“Nykander! She is my baby. You should have woken me up. Where is she?”

He nods to the bathroom.

I stride there, flinging open the door and finding her nestled inside the pink dog house. She whines in pain, rolling from one side to the other. BonBon is pacing around too, his little barks only making PomPom more anxious.

“Can you please keep BonBon in the room?” I turn to Nykander.

He nods and, taking the dog in his arms, he takes him to the room.

I get down on the floor and slowly massage my baby, murmuring sweet words to her.

“What does she need?” Nykander’s voice rings out from the doorway.

I pause for a moment to think.

“Hot towels. Scissors and thread and needle. We will need to cut the umbilical cord and stitch them. At least that’s what I saw other people do in videos on YouTube.”

He frowns, but he doesn’t argue with me. He disappears for a moment before he returns with everything I’ve asked.

He places the towels on the sink and thoroughly disinfects the scissors and needles.

“What now?” he asks.

I turn to glare at him, but he is as worried as I am.

“Now we wait.” I sigh. “She’ll let us know when she’s ready.”

He gives me a tight nod as he sinks to the floor next to me. He surprises me by taking my hand in his and squeezing it.

“It will be all right,” he assures me.

“What are we going to do with the puppies, Nykander? How are we going to take care of them? In my world, they would need to go to the vet, get shots, have a wellness exam. There are so many things to think about, like nutrition. Puppies need special food after they’re weaned. And they need lots of toys, and?—”

“You are getting ahead of yourself, Barbi. We will figure it out together.” He gives me a comforting smile.

I know I am getting ahead of myself, but just thinking about those helpless little babies makes my anxiety skyrocket.

PomPom’s whines accentuate, and Nykander takes off the roof from the house so we get a better view of her. She’s lying on her side, her eyes semi-closed.

I reach out to massage her belly, praying that everything will go smoothly.

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